Dispatches from Spain: Experimenta

Contributor post by Serena Olivieri

One month ago I started collaborating with a great Spanish design magazine, Experimenta. I joined their team during a major reorganization of the company and just in time to help them get ready for the big opening week that started last Thursday. Not only did they change location (now they're located in an attractive three-storey building) but also started two big projects: an online shop, selling Spanish industrial design products and an Academy focused on design communication and cooperative learning.

Since 1989, founder Pierluigi Cattermole has been observing and monitoring the project culture related to industrial design and architecture through a precious quarterly paper publication that was carefully curated to be remembered from a first glance: all the covers, in fact, were different and stunning. Each time, a famous designer was invited to create one.

Next september a new issue will be published in paper both in Spanish and English.

Here are some picture of the first floor I was able to take just before the opening started. All the products in this exhibition were carefully selected by Ana Gregores, the shop co-founder and curator. Her selections reflect the magazine's predilection for clean lines and innovative design.The brands represented here go from Cul-de-sac to Delica through Lladró, clearly among the most famous Spanish design firms.

One of the events during the opening was the presentation of the craft beer Mateo & Barnabé in collaboration with the Moruba design studio that created the packaging design.

There will also be a wine-tasting offered by La Mejorada winery, owned by architect Moneo Family. The week will close with another event, #designrevolution, a meeting about design for students and professionals from the design field to discuss the latest problems concerning design education, job ethics, industrial vs handmade design, mass production… basically, how design could help change society.